THE END OF A WONDERFUL HIKE - October 1, 2009

It rained most of the night - it is cold - we got up early - ate breakfast and drive to Baxter State Park - at the gate the ranger told us it is a level 3 and some trails are closed due to ice and we need to be careful. On the way to the base of mountain a moose was running in front of us - so we saw a live moose! It was 7:30 when we started a final climb. Mt Katahdin reaches above tree level and it was a level 4 - ice and snow coming down - the trail is big boulders and more big boulders.

We made it safely.

Thanks you Doug and Roger for coming to get us and the support.

Thanks to all of our supporters and cheerleaders - what a wonderful team!

Had fun - The End

What a night!!!!!

Very little sleep for me - but Patches can sleep thru anything. There was a big black bear in the trash cans - the trash can was about 20 ft from our tent spot - it would lift the trash can up and throw it - it tore off the sink on outside of bathroom - but I made it thru the night. Both of us is excited - we can see some of Mt Katahdin - but the clouds and rain is also there.

The 10 miles to the base was easy miles - very pretty - hiked moose of the day next to rivers, waterfalls and brooks. We were early at Baxter Park at the base of the mountain. We registered with the ranger to summit it tomorrow morning.

Patches is # 449

Crazy Lady is #450

to complete the AT this year "2009"

Patches Dad and Uncle arrived around 3 to pick up up and take us to Millinootet - a bed is waiting - we are staying at the Appalachian Trail Lodge - run by thru hikers themselves - very nice people.

Mt Katahdin

There she is - what a beauty - she is high - she is wide - she has clouds all over, around and on top - Her name is Mt Katahdin and she is calling our names. We are camping 10 miles from her base - we have a surge - we have hunted/looked for her for 2178 miles - she was not lost - we just thought so - she was just waiting for us.

Our plan is to climb her Oct 1, 2009 - we are camping at Abol Camp Ground - had a shower - it was good - 14 days with outout a shower - everything in my tent stinks - we had rain last night - buckets full and some today. The sun is shining and I can see the snow right now - we had our beauty shower for Mt Katahdin. It is wonderful to see the mountain - we just stood and viewed - each with our own thoughts - it is a happy/sad mix.

I saw a plane that could land on water today - it landed on the lake in front of me. We saw Moose today - but the Moose did not see us - it was dead. Hunting season started - you pay $13 for lottery and hope they draw your name - there is a limit to the amount of moose that can be hunted each year in ME. The moose we saw weighed 831 lbs - big and ugly. The camp we stayed in is also the weight station for moose and the land belongs to a paper company. The logging trucks pass by the whole time - the trucks look over loaded to me. If we have lost any weight it was the last 10 days - we ran out of our junk candy and really missed that surge.

Tomorrow we well be to the last shelter - the last 10 miles from here - we will need to register to stay there and summit the mountain - hope the weather holds up.

Have fun - we are going to enjoy the last 2 days of our trip - tomorrow will be day 200!

What a wet night and morning - rained most of night - our tents are wet - lucky our tents stayed dry on inside. Black Bird, Bark and Beary's tents got wet inside - sleeping bags wet - my sleeping bag is dry. The sun came out later today - not bad day at all - I am ready to get warm again (ha,ha). Saw a few day hikers today and saw a ranger - met an older man that climbed Katahdin 2 yrs ago on his 70th birthday - in ME that is what you do. Patches is craving (believe it or note) oats - the real kind - and romaine (oriental kind) with peanut butter. I am craving a nice roasted leg of lamb or a nice lamb chop or steak over the fire....we will see. If all go wells I can be back at work in 1 week - our bodies are holding up much better than our gear. Both our pants is tearing loose after I have fixed them a few times - boots lock horrible and back packs needs lots of love and tender care - our bodies feels good.

The fall is so pretty - after last nights rain the trail is very wet and slippery. Patches and Black bird slipped and fell. I have slipped a few times but did not hit the ground - 28.1 miles to finish - I hope nothing happens. Tomorrow night we might even get a shower - I sure hope so.

Have fun - we still have fun but know real life with reality is close.........

Had a peaceful night - packed up fast this morning - looks like rain - started to drizzle just before we reached our camp site just before 3 pm- we did 14.5 miles - pitched tents fast and put on rain gear to stay dry - nibbled on snacks - drank tea to stay warm - again early to bed - still drizzling on and off. Last night while we were cooking on our fire, some of the trail maintainers walked by to look for fallen trees over the trail to the water - they were very friendly and nice - did not say a word about our fire - this morning when we pass the rest of the maintenance group, the nice lady that gave us the bananas told us that we were not allowed to make a fire. Patches apologized, because we really did not know. Well apparently in ME the rule is only fires in designated camp sites - now we know - Thank You! We have 40.8 miles left until the top of Katahdin.

Have fun we do!!!!

Today was the most level flat trail we have done so far - 16 miles in 6 1/2 hrs. Are we getting good? Last night was cold - like in real cold. Black Bird and another hiker told us that the water was frozen this morning outside their tents - needless to say I was cold the whole night - had everything on I could find in by back pack and that is a lot - I was grateful that I had it all. Today was such a wonderful pretty trail day - the fallen leaves - all the fall colors - so deep. I just wish I could capture all of it on pictures - they are sure in my mind. Patches was getting worried that he did not have enough snacks for 4 more days - we wanted to got to this camp store 6 miles away - they will pick you up but we could not get an answer - lucky at the road there were a lot of MATC (trail maintainers) - they gave him some snacks - apples and bananas - the bananas were so delicious.

Tonight is the 1st night since we enter ME that the 2 of us camp alone - it was nice - we had a nice fire and cooked on it (low on alcohol to cook with) and it was a perfect night for fire cooking - the moon was a perfect 1/2 - but it looks like rain clouds moving in - I sure hope not.

Well.....all of you must have fun - we sure do!!!!!

It is 6pm - I am in my tent - don't need my headlight yet - I am ice cole - my lips are purple - my feet our frozen - I am just cold - lucky it is not raining - just cold. The last 2 day s was hard hiking - it was cold and lots of ups, downs and windy. According to the book White Cap Mt was the 1st climb to Katahdin. The last 2 nights we had a little rain - just enough to wet the dry ground/dirt. Patches feels better and does not hear his heart beating in his ear anymore. The leaves are dropping fast - that causes the trail to be slippery with out rain. I noticed yesterday that is already fall - the leaves here are very pretty - such deep yellow, red, orange - ME is cold - 5 more days to hike before we climb Mt Katahdin. Berry, Bark, Many Names and Notty just came to the shelter - we thought they were ahead of us. Just goes to show that the turtle finishes before the hare - ha,ha - 96% done.

We saw Katahdin today on the west side of White Chip Mt - just a steep peek - does not matter how you look at it - we will climb it.

Have fun we do!!!!!